Play Dragon Ball 3 - Gokuu Den (Japan) Online

Dragon Ball 3 - Gokuu Den came out for the NES in 1989, developed by Bandai. It was part of a wave of licensed games that tried to capture the feel of popular anime series, and it stood out for sticking close to the early Dragon Ball story arcs. The game follows Goku as a child, and it covers his training with Master Roshi and the first major quest for the Dragon Balls.

You control Goku as he explores the world screen by screen, talking to characters and taking on quests. The main goal is to gather all seven Dragon Balls, which involves traveling to different regions and overcoming obstacles. Combat uses a card based system where you select moves from a hand, requiring strategy rather than quick reflexes. The pacing is deliberate, and some sections can be challenging due to cryptic progression cues. It feels like a thoughtful, slower paced adventure that rewards patience and familiarity with the source material.